How to Thicken Baked Beans – Simple Steps
thickening

How to Thicken Baked Beans – Simple Steps

How to Thicken Baked Beans

Baked beans are a beloved side dish for barbecues and potlucks. With their sweet, tomatoey sauce, baked beans pair perfectly with grilled meats and summery sides. However, a runny bean sauce can make them messy to serve and eat. From my experience, excess liquid is one of the top complaints about homemade baked beans.

Reasons Why Baked Bean Sauce May be Thin

There are a few reasons why your baked bean sauce may turn out too thin:

  1. Not enough simmering time. Baked beans need a good amount of time for the sauce to reduce and thicken. At least 1-2 hours of gentle simmering is ideal.
  2. Too much liquid in the recipe. Some baked bean recipes call for a lot of tomato sauce, beer, broth or other flavorful liquids. While tasty, this extra fluid can water down the final sauce texture.
  3. Oven temperature too high or bake time too short. High heat and short bake times prevent the bean sauce from reducing properly in the oven.

Tips for Thickening Baked Bean Sauce

Don’t despair if your baked beans come out too thin! There are several handy tricks you can use to quickly fix runny baked bean sauce:

  1. Simmer the beans longer. Put the beans back on the stove and let them simmer away, stirring occasionally, until the sauce reaches your desired thickness. The starches from the beans will continue to thicken the sauce as it cooks down.
  2. Blend in dry beans. Mash up some of the existing beans right in the pot with a potato masher or fork. This will release more starch and thicken the sauce nicely.
  3. Add cornstarch. Whisk together 1-2 tablespoons of cornstarch with an equal amount of water. Pour it into the beans, bring to a simmer, and stir frequently for 2-3 minutes as it thickens up.
  4. Stir in breadcrumbs or oats. These dry ingredients will absorb excess moisture from the sauce. Start with 1-2 tablespoons and add more if needed.
  5. Let them sit overnight. After cooking, take the beans off the heat and let them sit covered at room temperature overnight. This resting time allows the sauce to thicken on its own. Simply reheat gently before serving.

I have faced situations where my baked bean sauce refused to thicken during the proper cook times. Despite stirring often and keeping the temp low, the sauce remained stubbornly watery. Here’s a real-life case from my practice:

For a neighborhood potluck last summer, I doubled my usual baked bean recipe to feed the large crowd. Even after 3 hours of gentle simmering, the huge pot of beans was still quite runny.

To quickly rescue them, I mixed together 2 tablespoons each of cornstarch and water and whisked it into the beans. After just 5 minutes of simmering and stirring, my bean sauce transformed into the perfect syrupy texture to enjoy alongside burgers and hot dogs. My guests were none the wiser about the last minute fix!

How to Prevent Thin Baked Bean Sauce

While the tricks above help thicken beans after the fact, preventing thin sauce in the first place will save you time and frustration down the road. Here are my top tips:

  1. Start with thick tomato sauce. Pick canned tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes with thickeners like puree or paste added. Avoid versions labeled “light.”
  2. Simmer the beans very gently for longer time to let the sauce reduce fully, at least 1 1⁄2 – 2 hours. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
  3. Bake the beans low and slow. Keep oven temp under 300°F and bake time over 2 hours, until sauce reaches desired consistency.
  4. Use less added liquid. Cut back on extras like broth, water or beer in the recipe. The sweet and tomatoey sauce alone should provide enough moisture.
  5. Add a dollop of tomato paste. Just a tablespoon or two dissolved into the simmering beans shells out body and thickness. A little goes a long way.

On the other hand, take care not to go overboard on thickening the sauce or you may end up with overly dense baked beans. The texture should coat the beans lightly without becoming gloppy or gluey. Beans baked in super thick sauce rarely reheats well either.

Thickening Ideas for Different Baked Bean Styles

Baked beans come in all different regional flavors. Here are my top thickening suggestions tailored to a few popular bean recipes:

For Boston-style baked beans…

Boston or “Navy” baked beans have an iconic savory-sweet molasses based sauce. Simmer them very slowly with a cracked pepper and dry mustard kick. Adding a few dashes of corn starch at the end binds the sauce beautifully.

For Southern barbecue-style baked beans…

Down south, baked beans get their lip-smackingflavor from brown sugar, ketchup, bacon and spices. Blend the sauce to a nice thickness in the last 30 minutes by mashing some beans against the pot.

For cowboy style ranch baked beans…

Cowboy beans loaded with beef and sometimes beer tend to end up extra runny. No problem – throwing in 1⁄4 to 1⁄2 cup of dry breadcrumbs at the end soaks up excess moisture like a charm.

For vegetarian baked beans…

Without meat, vegetarian baked beans rely solely on beans, sauce and seasoning for rich flavor. Simmering the sauce uncovered for a full 2 hours before baking lets it reduce down perfectly every time.

So next time your bubbly bean sauce ends up more soup than casserole, don’t start from scratch! With the handy tips above, you can easily transform runny baked beans into the thick, saucy side dish of your dreams.

Tips for Thickening Baked Beans
Method Details Cook Time
Simmer the beans Simmer uncovered for 15-30 minutes, stirring frequently, to reduce liquid 30 minutes
Add starch Stir in 1-2 teaspoons cornstarch, potato starch, or flour towards the end of cooking 5 minutes
Blend the beans Use an immersion blender to partially blend some beans to release starch and thicken liquid 5 minutes
Add breadcrumbs Stir in dry breadcrumbs to absorb excess moisture 5 minutes
Mix in bean puree Blend some beans into a puree, then mix back into the beans to thicken 10 minutes

FAQ: How to Thicken Baked Beans

What ingredients thicken baked beans?

Flour and cornstarch are common thickeners for baked beans. Mix a tablespoon or two of flour or cornstarch with a little water to make a slurry, then stir it into the beans while they simmer. The starch molecules absorb liquid and swell up, making the sauce thicker.

Do baked beans thicken as they cool?

Yes, baked beans often thicken more as they cool down after cooking. This effect happens because the starch molecules in the beans firm up as the temperature drops, absorbing more liquid. Letting the beans sit overnight in the fridge will make them even thicker.

Should I add tomato paste to thicken beans?

Tomato paste is very effective at thickening baked beans. Stir in a tablespoon or two along with the other ingredients. The tomato paste contains pectin and starch that absorbs moisture. Too much can make the beans too thick though.

What if my beans get too thick?

If your baked beans turn out overly thick, you can thin them by stirring in some liquid like stock, water, juice, or even beer. Bring them back up to a simmer to fully incorporate the liquid. Add a little at a time to achieve the desired consistency.

How can I make my beans creamier?

Adding a spoonful of mascarpone cheese or cream cheese helps give baked beans a smooth, creamy texture. Softened butter also works. Whisk in small amounts to reach the level of creaminess you want without making the beans too thin.